Genuine Original Cortébert Metal Pocket Watch with Original Cortébert Pocket Watch Holder Swiss 1959
An original Cortébert steel pocket watch with matching Cortébert metal pocket watch holder. The holder measures approx.: 10cm x 6cm.
The pocket watch has a white enamel dial with black Arabic numerals with outer minute divisions and blue outer 13-24-hour numbers. The dial has nice hands and a subsidiary seconds dial at the six. The dial is signed: 'Cortébert, 17 Jewels, Incabloc, Swiss Made'.
The anchor lever movement has 17 jewels and is signed: '17 Jewels, Swiss' and the calibre number is: 6431-6445.
The pocket watch lies in a steel case with a smooth finish. The snap back case closes tightly. The inner side of the case is numbered: 726503.
Diameter: 48 mm - Swiss Made - 1959
Weight of Watch: 71.0 g.
Story from Cortebert : The Cortébert watch company was born in 1790, one year after the French revolution. In 1790 the Juillard family that lived in Geneva, obtained a noble title from the king of France, even though Geneva was an independent republic.
Probably this was one of the last decisions Louis xvi made. In fact soon after he tried to escape from France he was caught and imprisoned. This date is very important; the Juillard family for the first time was part of the history, and the history of the family is the history of the Cortébert and perseo company. It is known that the Juillard family were very well off and they could afford to buy a noble title; besides that the only other thing known about them is that they used to trade in fur. There is no record of what induced the watchmaker Abraham-Louis Juillard in 1790 to hang up his sign in the village of Cortebert and start making components for watch movements there. In any case it has little bearing on the rest of the story. Nevertheless, in 1803 there was already a watch company owned by the Juillard family in the small town of Cortébert, close to Geneva. In 1855, under the management of Adam-Louis Juillard, the Cortebert trademark was registered by the Swiss government, with a symbol incorporating all the arm of the Juillard family. The symbol on the shield, a maltese cross, caused many problems to the Muslims clients. Since the first pocket watch, the company has been manufacturing its own movement. Later the production was extended to different calibres to be installed on all Cortebert watches. The production aimed at the good quality of the watch, and in a short time the company was able to manufacture watches with a low price and a good movement. At the start of the 1920s, one of Abraham-Louis Juillard’s descendants, a qualified engineer, started meeting the demand for ultra-thin calibres. He also introduced movements with safety mainsprings. Cortebert followed the fashions of that period by adding wristwatches to the production of different pocket-watches.
In 1940, when a luxurious catalogue contributed to Cortebert’s 150th anniversary celebrations, the collection also included wrist-chronographs. In 1944, the factory was producing 20 different calibres ranging from 5 to 22 lines. Among the specialties were large reliable railway watches. In a few years the Cortebert watch company had already won several prizes at the European expositions and their watches were sold mainly in Europe, middle east and south America. In 1878 Cortebert won the silver medal in Paris exposition; in 1880 the gold medal in Melbourne; in 1896 the silver medal in Geneva; in 1906 the silver medal in Milan; the gold medal in Stockholm in 1913 and in 1926 in Barcelona.
Materials : Stainless Steel
Origin : Swiss
Manufacture Date : 1959
